Astros report: Class A agreement with Fayetteville, N.C., finalized

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve has an eager audience as he hands out Christmas gifts to students at Brookline Elementary School on Tuesday. Altuve partnered with Nan & Company Properties to deliver 1,000 books and 1,000 toys to 1,000 students at the school.

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve has an eager audience as he hands...

The Astros on Tuesday formalized the future location of their high Class A minor league team by signing a 30-year lease agreement on a new stadium in Fayetteville, N.C.

The Astros will begin playing in Fayetteville in 2019. In the interim, they will play in Buies Creek, N.C., at Campbell University.

The agreement brings affiliated minor league baseball back to Fayetteville for the first time since 1998, when the Detroit Tigers had a team in the Class A South Atlantic League.

For Bregman, it's U.S team or bust

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If Alex Bregman plays in the World Baseball Classic next spring, it will be for the United States team.

While he said he appreciates the interest Team Israel has shown in its recruitment of him, the Astros third baseman wants to continue his affiliation with Team USA. The 22-year-old has represented USA four times in the past: at the 16-and-under level, the 18-and-under level, and twice collegiately.

It's uncertain whether Bregman will get the call for the WBC. Although he was not on the U.S.' original 50-man provisional roster, the team's leadership has recently discussed him as a possibility, a source said. Players can be added to and subtracted from countries' provisional rosters.

"I have played for Team USA for four years and have won two gold medals with them, and I want to continue to play for my country," Bregman said by phone this week from his hometown of Albuquerque, N.M. "If the USA gives me the opportunity to play for them during the World Baseball Classic (next spring), I will accept the invitation and play.

"They're the only team that I'm going to play for. If not, I'm going to be in spring training."

Participating countries don't need to submit their final 28-man rosters until Feb. 6. Teams can also add up to 10 players between the first and second rounds of the WBC. The quadrennial tournament begins March 6, a couple weeks into spring training, and runs through March 22.

Max Scherzer, Nolan Arenado, Chris Archer, Adam Jones, Andrew McCutchen and Buster Posey are the only members of Team USA confirmed so far by the WBC. The team begins pool play March 10 in Miami against Colombia.